Sunday, 25 October 2015

Sanctum

In
September 1990 I began the daily commute to school in central Bristol from
Horfield, down Gloucester Rd, across the centre and up Redcliffe hill. For 5
years I traveled this route twice a day and was always accompanied by my Sony
Walkman and a rucksack that contained more copied rave tapes than
textbooks.

My school years coincided with the rise of the U.K. underground rave scene and
once I had discovered it, was immediately hooked. Those mysterious bleeps,
psychedelic flyers and parties shrouded in secrecy captured my curiosity and
soon I was 'staying over at a mates house' most weekends and experiencing the
scene first hand at Sutra at the UWE, Ruffneck Ting at the Depot and Bristol
Exposure at Easton Community Centre. I managed to cobble together a battered
belt drive turntable with my mums stack system and a broken Made2Fade mixer and
taught myself to mix. I began taking every opportunity I could to make my way
home via Replay Records in the Bearpit, spending whatever money I could beg,
borrow and steal on hot off the press hardcore and jungle vinyl.

The
route I used to take to get from school to Replay cut straight through Temple
Park and right past Temple Church. And if my memory serves me correctly, I
don’t think I have actually been back there since.

On
Thursday this week Chicago based artist Theaster Gates’ project ‘Sanctum’ will
begin within the bombed out remains of the 14th century site and continue for
24 days until Saturday 21st November. A remarkable structure will rise from
within Temple Church and will host a continuous programme of sound over 552
hours and create an intimate gathering place in which to hear the city like
never before.

I have
accepted an invitation to host a 60 minute slot at Sanctum and will be using
the opportunity to retrace some of my personal history through music. It is a
real honour to be able to do this in a place that has meaning from an earlier
period in my life and is perhaps more than just a coincidence.

Ill be taking
it back to my old school days playing an all vinyl live DJ mix of tunes that
informed my youth and document the rave years ’87-’97. These are all well
loved, 25 year old records - Embrace the snap, crackle and pops.